RSS defamation case: Rahul Gandhi appeared at Bhiwandi Court; hearing adjourned till 3 March

On Monday, Congress vice-President Rahul Gandhi appeared at a court in Bhiwandi in neighbouring Thane district on Monday in connection with a defamation case over his alleged comment against the RSS regarding Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.

Bhiwandi Court adjourned the hearing till 3 March.

RSS defamation case: Bhiwandi Court adjourns hearing till 3rd March 2017 #RahulGandhi

— ANI (@ANI) January 30, 2017

Giving a brief statement to the press outside the court house, Rahul Gandhi said, “My fight is against the mindset which killed Gandhi.”

Meri ladaayi vichaardhaara ke khilaaf hai, woh vichardhara jisne Gandhi ji ki hatya ki: Rahul Gandhi, Congress Vice President pic.twitter.com/M1nQ8yWwJl

— ANI (@ANI) January 30, 2017

Invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s spirit on his 69th death anniversary, he said, “Gandhiji resides in the heart of every Indian, he cannot be wiped out.”

Gandhi ji har Hindustani ke dil mein hain, unhe kabhi mitaaya nahi jaa sakta: Rahul Gandhi, Congress Vice President pic.twitter.com/66stRcY9U7

— ANI (@ANI) January 30, 2017

At the last hearing, the Bhiwandi magistrate’s court had granted him a bail after he appeared before it. The court had adjourned the hearing to 30 January.

The case against Rahul was filed by a local RSS functionary, Rajesh Kunte, over the former’s speech in Bhiwandi on 6 March, 2014, in the run-up to Lok Sabha polls.

During the rally, Rahul had allegedly claimed, “The RSS people had killed Gandhi.”

Earlier, the Congress vice president had said he was ready to face the trial after the Supreme Court refused to interfere in the criminal proceedings at the court at Bhiwandi. He also withdrew the appeal filed against the Bombay High Court judgement refusing to quash the defamation case.

With inputs from agencies